Theatrical
by Yours truly - Pride
Summary: It's all an act. He, the director and his imagination, the props. The stage was set. The play goes out to a round of applause. A world of fantasy, a shimmering show born from blissful imagination. But when it ends, reality sinks in. It's just a show, a temporary reprieve from reality. A mere theatrical.


**Pride: This story is dedicated to Cardboard Pixie, an amazing friend, confidante and sister-figure who passed away on October the 9th. She dedicated her last moments to writing fanfiction, which she truly loved. I hope her hardwork and dedication is recognized, because she truly deserves it. Thanks for the great memories and times we had, and no matter what, we won't forget you.**

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**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters.**

Narrator's Perspective

'Thoughts'

"Speech_"_

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**Theatrical**

A Fairy Tail original fanfiction

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The entire building shook with the noise the entire guild was making.

From his seat in the corner of the guild, everyone suddenly seemed so much more cheerful and brighter. Master Makarov was gulping down his beer while seated on the counter, a perverted grin plastered on his face from his discussions with Macao, Wakaba and Gildarts. Off to the side, Mira was chastising the Master for being a 'dirty old man', occasionally chipping in with concerned warnings to limit his consumption of alcohol.

'_Wasn't everyone in a depressed funk just a while ago? It was something about Master's decision to disband the guild or something…,_' thought Natsu.

'_Nah, can't be true, Master would never do that. After all, he told me that just like the mystery surrounding fairies' tails, Fairy Tail would last forever, a never-ending adventure.'_

**It's all an act. **

Erza was seated at the bar, peacefully eating her strawberry cake.

Even Gray was having fun, trying to out-drink Cana in a drinking match. From the looks of it though, he wasn't going to last long – seeing as he was teetering on the edge of the table.

From the side, Gildarts was waving his left arm and cheering his 'sweetie-pie of a daughter' on, slamming his bets onto the table with his other hand.

Seeing all of this, Natsu began to wonder what he was doing, sitting in a _corner _of the guild, of all places. He, of all people, should be in the midst of the action, having the time of his life.

"Erza, fight me!" Natsu yelled with his fiery fists in the air, running towards the scarlet-haired mage, and accidentally snorted a puff of fire that caught onto the edge of her skirt.

"Not now, Natsu, go and fight Gray or something. By the way, would you like a slice of cake?" she replied with a smile on her face and nonchalantly patting out the fire on her skirt.

That was weird, Erza _never _offered her cake to anyone, and _never _had she ever let him off without punishment for something as bad as setting her skirt on fire.

Natsu decided to shrug it off and take what he got.

**He, the director and his imagination, the props. **

"Hey, ice popsicle, get your ass over here! It's time for an ass-whooping!" he called out, not being able to come up with any other way to instigate the fight.

"Heeeey, watch it ash-for-brains *hic* I'm gon-," Gray tried to yell back but his voice trailed off due to his drunken state.

All of a sudden, the guild shook with a mighty tremble that sent Gray tumbling off the table and onto the floor.

The other guild members turned their attention to the doors of the guild, shocked and slightly fearful when they heard a loud, ferocious-sounding roar.

**The stage was set. **

Natsu, however, looked up with joyful surprise, and immediately bolted out into the glaring sunshine.

"Igneel!" he looked down in slight surprise at his clothes that somehow felt wet, and somehow clung to his skin.

'_Strange, it isn't even raining, but my clothes are wet?' _but he dismissed the thought, deciding that there was something more important at hand.

"Igneel…," he breathed out, tears in his eyes.

By this time, the other guild members had begun to stream out, and Natsu noticed that there was something off with all of them.

Gray didn't seem tipsy or drunk even in the slightest bit.

Gildarts…was missing his left arm? Was he always like that?

Erza seemed on the verge of tears, and as a matter of fact all of them did. They all stared at him with…_was that pity?_...in their eyes, and completely ignored the gargantuan lizard in the clearing, as though it were invisible.

Natsu turned towards his foster father and leapt at him, hugging his snout.

"You have no idea how long I searched for you…I want to punch you, hit you, scream at you for abandoning me like that…but right now, I'm content to just stay like this…dad," he said, closing his eyes.

**The play goes out to a round of applause. **

As though suddenly remembering something, he leapt off and ran towards Lisanna.

"Lisanna, look! It's Igneel! Remember when I always told you stories of Igneel when we were young! Look, it's finally Igneel, in the flesh!" he dragged her by the wrist, but was surprised when she suddenly fell to her knees, bawling her lungs out.

He looked at her face, she seemed to be in pain, emotional pain. He knew that look. It was that look she had on her face when the first animal she had made friends with, a hen, had lost her chicks to a wild eagle. It was the look she had when Elfman had told her his pet parakeet had died.

It was the look she had when she was feeling someone else's pain as though it were her own. And it puzzled him.

"Lisanna, what's wrong? 'Sanna there's no need to cry, no one's hurting right now, we're all happy right? Then why are you crying now, when everything's perfect?" he queried, worry in his eyes.

Lisanna didn't answer his question, but just continued to sob uncontrollably, choking on her tears.

Most of Fairy Tail was in tears by this point. Even the more stoic members like Gajeel and Laxus turned their heads away to hide their pain from their fellow Dragonslayer.

**A world of fantasy, a shimmering show born from blissful imagination. **

Master Makarov was holding onto a pillar so hard that it was beginning to crack, his eyes were clenched shut to prevent tears from leaking out.

Erza, _strong, unbreakable, Erza_ was on the ground, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing into her skirt.

"What…why?" Natsu blubbered.

"It's because of YOU, you FOOL!" Gray roared.

"Can't you see the reality?! Look around you, stare hard for as long as you can! There's no Igneel there, nothing!" he yelled, pointing behind Natsu, letting out a few tears of his own.

Wendy ran up to Natsu and hugged his middle, sobbing into his shirt.

"N-natsu-san! Please come to your senses! I know it's hard to accept that Igneel is gone, but p-please!"

He let go of her and turned around, and saw that Igneel was still there.

"B-but look! Igneel IS here!" he touched one of the large, red scales to prove his point.

"Natsu, my son," Igneel spoke up, his voice sounded weak.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you like this, but this is the truth. This is reality," Natsu saw a large gaping hole begin to form in Igneel's abdomen, and blood began to pour profusely from the open wound.

"I-Igneel! You're injured! You're bleeding!" Natsu ran forward and tried to staunch the bleeding with his hands that were far too small, and began to sob when it didn't work.

"Natsu, remember it. Remember everything that's happened, because you know it's true," the great dragon rumbled softly.

"N-no! I refuse to believe this!"

**But when it ends, reality sinks in. **

Before his very eyes, the hulking form of the fire dragon Igneel, his foster father, began to fade away with the light breeze that ruffled his pink hair.

As though waking up from a dream, he noticed for the first time, that it was raining heavily all around him.

"No…"

"Natsu, it's real. Please, it's happening, you have to realize it. Igneel is dead, the guild is disbanding, it's all as real as it can be," Erza said softly placing a hand on his shoulder.

With a roar of anguish, Natsu fell to his knees and slammed his fists on the cold, hard ground as the winds roared around him and the rain battered against him mercilessly, masking his tears.

**It's just a show, a temporary reprieve from reality. **

**A mere theatrical.**

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_End_

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**Pride: This oneshot was inspired by a few fics I've read recently, from authors like Midnight1234, justaguy35 and snakeboy33, so credits go to them too. I hope I have done well in giving the story an angsty feel. Do tell me if there is anything else I could've improved on. Drop off a review before you leave! **

**May good fortune rule over you  
Peace live in your heart, and  
May the stars watch over you**

**\- Yours truly, Pride**


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